


Show you mine, if you show me yours....

by Doxx



Series: It's a Kind of Magic [5]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Background Character Death, Brotherly Love, Caretaking, Demons, Kissing, M/M, Magic, Mild Blood, No Incest, Non-Graphic Violence, Physical Disability, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:01:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26218309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doxx/pseuds/Doxx
Summary: Eddie, the human student limping his way through the RAD exchange program, knows how to palm a coin and trick out a card. This, apparently, is new to the Devildom, and subsequently he had become regarded as a powerful magician, especially by Mammon his boyfriend (demonfriend?).However, this does not help him understand the studies of magic and metaphysical nonsense he is supposed to learn for his exams. Luckily, Mammon is on hand to help him figure out the finer points of demonic magic and spells.
Relationships: Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: It's a Kind of Magic [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880872
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was _supposed_ to be a short piece showcasing Mammon and Eddie's growing relationship, and it turned into a lengthy metaphysical explanation for magic and the intricacies and practicalities of demon forms and what Mammon does when he supposedly is 'skipping class'.

Studying spellbooks was surprisingly dull.

Eddie might have been reading an actual text on how to actually _literally_ turn an enemy to stone (complete with various accounts of the quality of the screams as the transformation was enacted – a detail he did not really wish to have take up residence in his brain!), but by the eighth page describing the geological criteria of the resulting rock formation, he felt as if his eyes were turning indigenous with boredom. 

After a panicked thought for the safety of his vision, he double checked that he had not accidentality self-cast upon himself. Since he was in short supply of dried chicken feet and had no root lotus immediately to hand, he figured he was just tired of reading for the moment.

His usual study partner, Mammon, was absent. Now they were officially 'going out', and damn did it make Eddie feel old to have to say that aloud, he had had to put in some boundaries to avoid Mammon being in his space every waking moment. Mammon would likely still be trying to watch him as he slept, if he had not awoke with a start to see a pair of glowing eyes at his bedside. He had taken up his walking stick to swing in terror at the intruder (demon eyes, Eddie was not reassured to learn, reflected light like a cats' in the dark). Since then Mammon had been banned from his room from 10pm to 8 am, to prevent Eddie accidentally concussing his new boyfriend... demon-friend.... with his cane.

Similarly, after a few short and not very productive (as far as coursework was concerned) sessions, they had mutually agreed (with a little pressure from Lucifer) that they would work best without each other to distract from the books.

The result, however, was that when once Eddie had looked forwards to studying and spending time with Mammon, now he found himself trudging through texts four times older than he was, that made very little sense to a human not versed in the mystic arts, with no respite. 

He missed Mammon's huffs at passages that went on too long, or when he would scoff and correct a human scholar's account of a plague or catastrophe. He missed the wide smile he could catch out the corner of his eyes when Mammon thought he was not looking, or the way that the demon would stick the tip of his tongue out occasionally, always to the left side of his mouth, when working through some archaic verse.

He missed Mammon.

And frankly, he was done with studying.

Eddie did not have to carry the heavy book with him, but he had a point to make. He tucked the text under an arm, and braced the extra weight against his cane, and made his way to the library where he thought (hoped) he would find Mammon.

The Avatar of Greed was lying on a couch with his feet draped over the armrest, and playing a game on his DDD, textbooks all about on the floor beside him. The game looked like some kind of slotgame, and Eddie sighed to himself. There had been lengthy debate during dinner about that particular game and its buy-ins, and Mammon's habit of betting most of his earnings on it till they whittled away to nothing. 

He managed, in his off-beat-off-step way, to get pretty close before Mammon looked up.

“You're lucky I ain't Lucifer! Pretty sure last week he banned you from that slot game.”

“Nuh-uh! This is a _different_ game! Different slots. Look, see, they are different coloured shapes, not fruit this time!”

Eddie shrugged, and sat down beside Mammon, the demon moving to the side to let there be room but still lying down. Eddie was not the most slender of gentlemen, but Mammon's lean frame meant that it was only a little crushed as they shared the space.

He did not hear Mammon complaining that he was practically sat in Mammon's lap. 

“This book,” Eddie declared as he dropped it to the ground in front of Mammon to join its likewise discarded brethren, “is so dry it'd make a mummy look moist by comparison.”

Mammon's eyes widened, and he scanned to the door automatically, tensing as he did.

“There's a mummy?!” he said, alarmed.

“No! Wait... mummies are a thing now? Really?”

Mammon nodded, always happy to help inform Eddie about the mystical and metaphysical. 

Tarot readings could be true, and demonic summonings whilst seldom successful were a sure-fire way to gain a demon's attention... for better or in most cases, worse. Tooth-fairies did not exist, but fae did, and it was best not to confuse the two. There were darker things than sharks in the waters, and it paid to be suspicious of mirrors. Never take part in a fox hunt. The foxes have grown wise, and regularly curse the proceedings and participants. Salt circles have their place, but only if you understand that to salt the land stops anything thriving, both the good and bad. 

“Mummies are mostly a wish for immortality gone wrong. Or a curse. Hard to tell the two apart sometimes.”

Eddie, having had enough of the tedious texts, turned and raised a brow.

“Hmm. Quick-fire round.” Mammon's eyes lit up, already keen on the change of pace. Eddie continued, “What is an actual thing, and what is made up. Go. Vampires?”

“Yeah. Uppity corpses.”

“Zombies.”

“Yep. They stink.”

“Werewolves?”

“Nope. Usually just a hellhound on the loose.

“Voodoo?”

“Dangerous.”

“Homepathy?”

“Just water. Expensive water.”

“Easter bunny?”

“Leftover pagan deity. Don't offer him chocolate, he doesn't get the joke.”

“Santa clause.”

“Nah. If there's a stranger in your house at Christmas, their likely a thief!”

“The Devil.”

Mammon paused, and shrugged. “Kinda... Like, a human might chance upon a demon, right, either they catch us off guard and see our true forms, or they make a deal, or they are just in the wrong place at the wrong time seeing us do our thing... but then they talk. And then they hear about another demon. And they sound sorta the same, so they think 'ah, must be one creature', rather than two. And so it goes. And then it the creature becomes known as The Devil, capital letter important, when its more likely to have been a whole bunch of us throughout time. All amalgamated into one singular entity.” He made an unsure gesture with his hand, “Not really false, but not true either.”

Eddie thought about this, and then smiled warmly, “You don't talk much about what you did as a demon in the human world.”

He could felt it behind his back how Mammon tensed at that, worse than when he thought there was a mummy on the prowl. Eddie raised a hand and stroked up and down the nearest thigh, reassuringly. 

“I'd like to learn more about your style of magic. I'd read about curses and hexes, glyphs and sigils and symbols. Will you show me some demon magic?”

Mammon made an uneasy face.

“That's... maybe not such a hot idea...”

Turning to face him properly, Eddie regarded the demon. Mammon's eyes were cast downwards, and he was fidgeting with one of his rings.

“Come on Mammon....” Eddie said carefully, confused at the reaction, “This isn't like you not to want to show off at any given opportunity.”  
“I almost never get to see any demon magic, except when something goes wrong and someone gets upset, and then I'm usually pretty distracted either heading for the nearest exit, or checking I'm out of blast or tail-lashing radius.”

Mammon gripped at his sleeves, and looked deeply uncomfortable. Eddie was about to go and comfort his boyfriend when Mammon sighed, “It's just that mostly, demon magic ain't... ya know... _nice_....”

Eddie made a soft noise of understanding, and smiled. 

“I am hardly expecting rainbows and puppies...” he leaned over and wrapped his arms awkwardly round him.  
“I know you are a demon Mammon, hard to miss really, but I won't judge you for what you are.”

Mammon rubbed the heel of his palm against his eyes, unsure. 

“I just don't wanna have ya think less of me...”

“Mammon, you are my most favourite demon, but on the second day we met you threatened to snap off my legs because I couldn't keep up with you.” he laughed.

Mammon scowled at the memory, ashamed.

Eddie pressed on, “But that didn't stop me getting to know you. Right enough, sometimes there is a bit of culture shock between how things are on earth, and how demons do things, but for the most part I get it.”

Mammon sighed, and leaned back, “OK, but I ain't gonna do any of the magic. Not here, not to you.”

Eddie reigned in his disappointment, and let Mammon speak.

“Mostly I deal in curses and jinxes. Bad luck, ya know? I can do most forms of misfortune, but I work best when money is involved. It can be little things like always misplacin' a wallet, or always being short of change, or bigger, like financial ruin and bankruptcy. Ya wanna be the biggest fish in the pool? Well I can make it so your competitors haemorrhage cash, and leave ya to scoop up the leftovers.”

Eddie nodded slowly, then tipped his head quizzically.

“Wait... I thought you could also bestow a boon to those in your favour...?”

Mammon looked sheepish. “Never got the hang of boons... but what I do is jinx everybody else round a person to make them _feel_ more lucky.”

Eddie kept his face carefully calm. “So when called upon for a boon, you curse a whole bunch of people, just to make one person 'feel' slightly luckier?”

Mammon flinched. “...Yeah....?”

Eddie laughed. “That's genius!”

Mammon brightened immediately, “Ya think so?”

“Absolutely!”

Eddie thought back to where he too had been forced to adapt a task in order to manage. His leg was not too much of a hindrance most days, but he had learnt to live with the fact that there were somethings he just could not do – like running or walking long distances without his cane. It took skill, of a kind, to be able to think up creative workarounds. Like the time he had switched out wearing shoes with laces since he found it hard to keep his balance as he tied the necessary knots. Or when he conceded that no matter how much he'd have rather had a trendy laptop case, a bulky rucksack was far better for distributing weight more evenly across his back, which made carrying books, shopping, laptops all so much less tiring.

It was weird that he shared such scheming similarities with a demon, but Eddie was prepared to accept it.

He grinned, and leant down to rest himself on Mammon's chest.

“Hmmm, should have known the Great Mammon would have a clever solution!”

Though he blushed and looked embarrassed, Eddie thought that Mammon was pleased at the praise. He brought up a hand and stroked against his pale hair. As his fingertips carded through the strands, he was struck by a thought, and gently brushed over where Mammon's horns emerged when he was in his demon form. When he felt not even a bump, he looked up, curious.

“Maybe there is a type of magic you could show me.... Can I see you in your demon form?”

“Oh! That I can do! Step back Eddie, and check this out!”

Eddie had barely managed to swing himself aside when Mammon bounced to his feet and stood up. The lights flickered as Mammon stretched and shifted, his clothes changing almost instantly and two jagged horns emerging. 

He unfurled his wings, and gave Eddie a wink.

“How'd I look?”

“As always, amazing.” While he knew Mammon was easily won over by flattery, Eddie had no need to lie. Mammon looked stunning in his demonic form, his chest bare save for some rather suggestive harness-like belts, and embedded with tattoos as stark as his hair. They glowed against his skin, tempting the eye towards the crotch.

It would be crass, if not for Mammon's confidence to pull off the frankly bizarre jumble of full shoulder and shirt sleeves, cropped high to laid bare his abdomen, whilst in a high collar and adorned with higher boots. He made the hodgepodge of lines and styles work, with different studs and designs and diamond motifs, and belt straps that looked either like they were there to hold the outfit together, or had been put on wrong. The hints of gold seemed over-the-top and garish.

It suited Mammon, Eddie thought. More complex than first meets the eyes, and certainly not easy to adjust to. 

He chuckled, reached for Mammon who willingly stepped up to the couch. 

The first thing he tried (had been wanted to try for a while since he'd thought about the demons and their alternate forms, and then more so when he thought about Mammon himself) was to pull at one of the buckles round Mammon's chest. He slid two fingers under the leather and tugged him towards him. 

“I want to see a bit closer....”

He hummed to himself thoughtfully, as he traced fingers against the belt strung around Mammon's ribs. Mammon's breath hitched, but he stayed still to allow Eddie examine his body and clothes without hurry.

Eddie very much appreciated the gesture. 

“You are marvellous.” Eddie said, as he took up a clawed hand in his own.

“Careful.” Mammon warned. “I don't want to hurt ya...” 

True enough, each white claw-tip was sharp as a scalpel. Eddie could tell they were maintained to a vicious edge, and did not dare test his skin against them. He ran a finger up Mammon's palm instead, feeling the demon's natural heat. He gave the hand in his a squeeze, and then looked up to meet Mammon's eyes.

“Can I see your wings too?”

Without words, Mammon turned and then, aware that Eddie was sitting on the couch, sat himself down in front, kneeling up on his knees. 

The wings were more rigid that Eddie had thought, the spines fanning out between the thick webbing as hard as bone. He gently flexed the wings open and shut, and heard the spines rattle as he closed shut one wing. Sharp too, were the points, both the golden-capped claw and the tips of each spine. It looked like the bone had been whittled on purpose to provide better spurs.

They did not look like they could support flight, and it seemed strange to Eddie that Mammon would purposefully modify his wings to make them more hazardous....

He shifted, and reached for the elegant horns. They felt rough, like woodgrain, and hot to the touch.  
The tips however, were sharp as a honed knifes' edge. 

Eddie ran his hands over Mammon's shoulders, and gestured for him to stand again. Mammon did, and eyed Eddie curiously, as the human cast his eyes over Mammon in his entirety. 

“So... What'd ya think...?”

Eddie laughed, and pulled Mammon down to join him on the couch. “Come here, Beautiful!”

Kissing Mammon had become one of Eddie's favourite pasttimes, even if he did occasionally have to offer a gentle reminder that Eddie, like most humans, needed air from time to time. Mammon's lips were demanding, and he kissed like it was sustanance to him. As he took up against Eddie's lips, Mammon would utter soft half noises, almost as if unaware he was making any sound at all, that were completely endearing.

Mammon in his demon form, however, had very sharp teeth. Eddie could feel his skin caught between points, as a low possessive growl rumbled through his demon. He had to slow down his own movements, lest he slice his tongue on the new gauntlet within Mammon's mouth. Mammon, however, pressed their lips together with such feverish intensity it made Eddie moan. 

He could felt the grin through the kiss, and knew that if he opened his eyes, he'd see Mammon looking smugly pleased. 

Eddie ran a hand up Mammon's neck and into his hair, and then, curious, up to his horns. 

“Uh!” Mammon gasped, obviously unused to the sensation, which only spurred Eddie to do it again.

Clumsily, they shifted round on the couch so that neither of them would fall, as Eddie let Mammon clutch him to his chest, feeling the heat surround him. It was like basking in his own personal sunbeam.

He lifted his hand, and made to grip it, to pull Mammon even closer, when he was struck by pain.

He let out a very manly yelp of surprise, and drew back his hand which had two small gashes across the palm.

Mammon's eyes widened, and he pulled back and off Eddie. 

“I said be careful! The horns are sharp!”

Eddie looked closer, and saw that indeed, it was not just the tips of the horns that were pointed, but that the ridges running down each horn in a spiral also had an edge. He looked apologetically at Mammon.

“So I see!”

“Stay there, I'll get ya a bandage or somethin'.” he said, his form shimmering back to normal.

As he waited, Eddie puzzled over how he had missed the danger. Horn did not naturally grow so sharp, so either demons horn grew differently... or Mammon took measures to make his horns as cutting as possible.

Maybe, he decided, they were kept such to deter anyone from trying to grab at them in a fight.

He'd seen demons fighting, when words ran out or tempers were lost. It was... violent. Blood spilled, and there seemed no referee to negotiate the damage. He'd seen demons, gouged to pieces, limp from the scene. Sometimes they came back... other times, Eddie did not see the same demon again.

Things were different down in the Devildom. Eddie had adapted and learnt not to try to apply human logic and morality into the new culture that surrounded him. Yet, he had never seen Mammon fight. In fact, of all the residents of the House of Lamentation, despite his brag and bluster, Mammon seemed least likely to come to blows. 

So why did he wear his horns so jagged?

His thoughts were interrupted by Mammon return, carrying with him a bundle of bandages.

Eddie might have protested that he could manage it himself, but Mammon was already before him before he had a chance to speak. 

Without humility or humiliation, he went to his knees in front of Eddie, to better see and tend to the wound. He wiped it down with cloth soaked in alcohol which stung, and then with tenderness he wrapped the cut, sealing the blood behind a barrier of bandages. 

In direct contradiction to normal health-care procedures however, when finished, Mammon placed a careful kiss upon the finished covering.

Eddie could not help but smile. 

Mammon may have had his sharp and prickly edges, but he could be soft and gentle too. 

“Thank you.”

“No problem, my Precious...”

Mammon stopped, and glanced sideways to see how Eddie might take the unintentionally affectionate nickname. 

Eddie could not help but smile wider.

“You take such good care of me, _my_ demon, my only. Now, maybe you might like to come up to my room and let me take care of you?”

Needless to say, neither Mammon or Eddie got any more studying done that evening.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next few days, Eddie became aware that there were two less students in his classes. Not too unusual, RAD had a high drop out rate, and not just because of the exacting exams. Demons were prone to fighting, and had no qualms about drawing blood on campus. Not everyone walked away from conflicts, and those were just the ones held in public.

He suspected that the campus grounds were as much a safe haven as was possible in Hell, and he took the advice offered and did not walk about the Devildom on his own. Happily, he had a entourage of demon lords on his side, and they saw off most threats with some dark promises of their own. 

So drop-outs (or otherwise) were not uncommon. What was different, however, is that the missing students had both been in one of his classes, and both had been... less than welcoming to the human exchange student. 

One had demanded to make a pact with him, and when Eddie refused, hissed and spat like she'd been burned. She had warned, loudly in front of the class, that Eddie ought to reconsider... while he still could. 

Two days later, and she had been taken off the register.

The other had been a shade, and remarked upon the 'delectable' state of Eddie's soul in a low and hungry voice. The workshop on hexes had been over, and only Eddie, the shade and Mammon had been in the room at the time. Eddie had shrugged, and ignored as usual the unfavourable interaction, but he thought he had seen Mammon grow stern, before he had merrily proclaimed that they ought to head home.

The next day, Eddie had seen the self-same shade lick its shadowy lips at him, turned his head and pretended not to see, and then went on to a student council meeting. Afterwards, the shade was absent and had not been seen since.

At the meeting, all seven of the brothers were accounted for, save Mammon who as usual had skipped it. 

Eddie, started to detect a pattern. 

Mammon was known for skipping out on his classes or duties, usually offering some poor thread-bare excuse that did not hold up to scrutiny. He often had to take on extra homework or stay on late to make up. Or, more often, the eldest would take it upon himself to correct his wayward sibling, and demand that Mammon listen to a long lecture about responsibilities. 

Thing was, those lectures never seemed to stick, and Mammon continued to miss out on classes, workshops and meetings. 

In his room, Eddie started to see Mammon in a new light. He grabbed for his DDD, and fired off a text. It took a little more effort than usual, on account of his still-healing hand.

_Eddie: Mammon. Did you have something to do with the shade going missing?_

_Mammon: Don't ya worry about it!_

Eddie pondered pressing further, but then he hardly understood demon-tech at the best of times, and figured that he knew even less about the security of his DDD than he did his regular phone. He did not want to force Mammon to reveal something he would rather keep hidden.

There was something, though, forming in his head. 

Ever since he had seen Mammon's demon form in all its hellish glory, he'd been struck at just how... vicious every available edge had been made. It seemed odd. Mammon didn't fight, or even behave particularly threateningly, unlike some of his brothers. 

Lucifer, (and though he'd never mention it aloud in the same breath, Satan) made no secret of their power, often using intimidation tactics to deter conflict. Satan especially, could be horrifically creative when laying out what might happen should he continue to be pestered. 

Mammon however, would be hard pushed to warn off trouble in the same manner. He was dismissive, rather than confrontational, and was more likely to walk away than engage.

So why did Mammon keep himself honed like a weapon?

It was nagging at Eddie, as if for every new thing he learnt, there were more layers yet to be uncovered. He guessed that the culture shift between humans and demons was probably making it harder to figure out, but that also meant that Mammon may not know that Eddie was missing pieces of the puzzle. 

He decided to call him and ask him directly. 

He had hardly hung-up when he heard light and quick footsteps approaching his door. Eddie smiled, and made space on his bed.

Mammon opened the door with a grin, “”Hey! What'd ya need? The Great Mammon is here to help!”

“Just some questions about demon society. Still trying to get my head round the differences.”

Mammon threw himself in the vacant space on the bed, bouncing Eddie as he settled alongside him.

“Sure thing. Ask away!”

“Tell me, do demons fight often?”

Mammon shrugged, “Ya've been here long enough, ya must have heard us bicker and disagree all the time. And yeah, sometimes it gets physical.”

“Why?”

“It's kinda what demons do. If there is some uppity upstart looking for a gain in power, or if there is a territory dispute. Sometimes it's to make a statement about status or a stance on a matter...”

“So, sometimes its defensive too?”

Mammon nodded “Yeah! If someone else starts a fight, ya gotta be able to stand up and defend yourself, and keep hold of what ya got.” He nodded again, this time more to himself. “It's important to protect what's precious to ya.”

Eddie could practically feel things click into place. He'd spent time with Mammon, and all his brothers, and seen them as they moved through Devildom society. They held power, and seemed second only to lord Diavolo himself. 

It make sense, that from time to time, they would have to fight to maintain their position of power.

From what he had seen of the other demon forms, each was fearful in its own way, but none seemed as actively curated to cause harm as Mammon. Everything about him was streamlined and sleek. He was lithe and he was fast, and had multitude of sharp points he could put to use. Mammon's demon form was built for battle. 

However, Mammon had shown, time and time and time again, that he knew how he was seen. His photo-shoot skills seemed strangely contrasted against his low ranking in the tests, unless that appearance was part of Mammon's plan. He did not want to draw attention to his sharp edges.

He acted flippant, aloof, mannerisms designed to distract from the fact that his eyes were taking everything in. Little details about his demon form's clothes; mismatching studs and a belt-system that looked like he had failed to put it on correctly, carefully cultivated to make him seem an easy mark. 

Eddie had been confused about why the brothers seemed so set to put Mammon down at every opportunity, that when Asmo had spoken with genuine fondness for his sibling, at the time it had been jarring. 

Eddie thought he understood better now, because if Mammon acted like a fool on purpose, he would need his brothers to publicly ridicule him to complete the deception. He didn't know if they had all been playing their parts so long they had forgotten _why_ they needed cast as many insults Mammon's way as they could, or if the practice had become habit over the hundreds and thousands of years, but it beneath the disagreements and shouting, there was undeniable love and loyalty. 

As Asmo had said, demons sought out weakness, and so, to protect his family, Mammon made himself the obvious target should any lesser demon or shade attempt to hurt one of the seven demon lords. Demons would take him for the weak link, and Mammon used that to defend that which he held dear. 

Eddie wondered how just many threats Mammon had 'disposed of', when they had thought him less than the second born Avatar of Greed. 

He strongly suspected, that to maintain the image he had cultivated for himself, Mammon did not allow for second chances.

He took a deep breath, as he came to the conclusion that his demon, his boyfriend, was a killer.

“What did you do to the shade Mammon?”

Mammon paused, then grinned. “I told ya, don't worry about it. I took care of it for ya!”

“By take care of you mean...”

“Tore its head off...” Mammon replied, watching carefully for reaction.

Eddie blinked. Then reminded himself that his boyfriend was a demon, and that he had just confirmed Eddie's suspicions that all those sharp points were not just for show. 

Then he tried to be upset that that particular shade would not be bothering him ever again.

“Thanks.” he said, honestly grateful.

Mammon beamed merrily, and folded his arms under his head. “No worries! The Great Mammon looks out for his favourite human!”

He looked so happy, laying there proud of a job well done. Eddie wondered when the last time someone had appreciated his efforts had been. 

“Do your brothers ever thank you for what you do for them?”

“Huh?” Mammon's whole body tensed, and though he kept careful control of his demon form, Eddie thought that the lights in the room briefly flickered.

“You say you protect was is precious to you, and you clearly love your family. So I figure you must work to keep them safe, same as you did for me.”

There was no smile on Mammon's face as he twisted to face Eddie.

His mouth grew tight, and his eyes narrowed, “How... how did ya find out? You been readin' my mind?!”

Eddie debated pretending that his 'powers' had lead him to the realisation, but decided that Mammon deserved the truth. Not to mention Mammon seemed very worried that he had somehow allowed Eddie to poke and pry inside his head for secrets.

“I've been living here, with all of you in the House of Lamentation. I've picked up things. Like, you and your brothers all love each other, despite your differences. You might argue almost constantly, and fight over every single little thing, but there is genuine care there.”

“But it makes no sense why you'd bare the brunt of the joke every single time, unless there was a reason for it. You don't do anything that terrible, not like Beel eating the entire breakfast supplies and leaving everyone else with nothing, or Satan throwing a fit and tearing up the wallpaper just because someone messed up his filing system. And you're the second born, and from what I understand of power and hierarchy, there ought to be more respect there... So there has to be a reason that your brothers are such jerks to you.”

Eddie paused, allowing space for Mammon to correct him in case he was way off track, but Mammon just stared, intense.

“So.. uh.. I think you all made an agreement or a deal or a plan or something. Your brothers commit character assassinations against your personality, which allows you opportunity to actually assassinate that which threatens your family. It lets you surprise any who try to 'have a go', cause they'll think you are stupid or weak or lazy, because that's what your brothers have been publicly calling you out on.”

Mammon was very still, and very quiet, and Eddie wondered if he had broken him. 

“.... That is one of our biggest secrets.” he whispered.

Eddie was about to ask for more details when he feel a hand press against his lips .

“Shush, don't say any more.” Mammon said quickly, “Ya are right. Maybe too damned clever for what's good for ya, but right all the same. But ya gotta kept quiet 'bout this. Lucifer will literally rip out yar tongue if he thinks ya might tell anyone.”

Mammon's eyes blazed blue and gold, and he kept his hand against Eddie's mouth until Eddie nodded to confirm he understood.

“Good... good.....” he relaxed, slightly, and took his hand back.

Eddie reached out and gripped the retreating hand, and squeezed against the palm.

“Mammon. What you do for me, what you do for your family; it deserves credit.”

Mammon made a pained noise, and shrugged.

“Honour an' loyalty an' thanks... they don't carry weight down here. All that matters is power... an' Grimm.”

“Not true.”

Eddie had to prop himself up on his elbows, to better convey his point, “You care about honour. And loyalty. And thanks, even if you don't receive enough of it.”

He leaned in, and pressed his lips against Mammon's, brief but warm.

“Your brothers are lucky to have you... _I_ am lucky to have you...”

Mammon's cheeks were coloured in a blush, but he smiled.

“Of course ya are! Ya have the Great Mammon as yar boyfriend!”

Eddie ignored how Mammon have shifted the conversation away from more serious matters, and laughed. 

His brothers may be shockingly poor at showing their appreciation, but that just meant that Eddie would have to show Mammon gratitude for all that he did himself.


	3. Chapter 3

It was thanks to a text from Belphie that Eddie was currently hiding out in the kitchen, drinking herbal tea and avoiding Satan.

Th Avatar of Wrath was apparently livid, due to finding one of his prized texts on counter-curses laid out pages down on a table. Eddie had borrowed the volume last. Eddie also knew doing such was poor manners, and it was not his habit to abuse borrowed books, but Levi had interrupted him as he read, and then practically dragged him by the sleeve to show him a rare achievement on some obscure game he had managed to unlock. He had not been thinking, had nearly left behind his cane, because he was so caught up in Levi's excitement.

It so so rare that Leviathan ventured from his room.

Before he had turned to go back to the common room, Eddie's phone had chimed with the warning, and he had turned to find somewhere that was not immediately obvious. Even so, from the kitchen he had heard Satan banging upon his bedroom door, demanding he come out before he broke out the bone pins. 

Eddie did not know what 'bone pins' were, and had strong suspicion that he would not like to learn. Especially not through first hand experience.

Belphie (with Beel chipping in from time to time) reassured Eddie through text messages that Satan was most likely going to wear himself out storming up and down the corridors looking for him, and then be more receptive to apologies.

Given that he had heard his door creak under Satan's fist, Eddie decided to stay put. 

Mammon's chamomile and cinnamon blend was doing wonders to take the edge from his nerves, but Eddie was left wondering how long it would actually take Satan to calm down again. He'd seen Satan hold a grudge over a off-hand comment for weeks, waiting like a spider till the perfect moment to deliver a elegantly composed, completely scathing retort. Satan's words were cutting, often more so than his claws, yet he used both to make his point plain.

Eddie was part-way through wondering how many cat memes he would have to find to try and make amends, when he heard footsteps approaching. Heavy footsteps. _Angry_ footsteps. 

He was in the process of trying to crouch behind the central table, when Satan marched into the kitchen.

Eddie promptly fell over, his right leg having a sense of comic timing and giving way to his lowered center of gravity. He sprawled, ungraceful, on the floor as Satan circled round to look down on him.

Eddie did not have to look up to know that Satan was in his demonic form. There was a pinpricking sensation down his neck, and a scent of something old and powerful in the air. 

This was not going to bode well.

He rolled to his side, clumsy, weak, _human_ , and saw that Satan was glaring at him, his claws digging groves into the surface of the table. 

“Fuck.” said Eddie.

He honestly did not know what Satan would have done, had Mammon not stepped into the room at that moment, grinning and declaring loudly as he entered, “Eddie, are ya in here? I hear Satan is on the warpath, let's go an' hide out in my room! It'll be fun! I can show ya my...... Oh.”

Mammon looked at Satan. Satan pulled back his shoulders and snarled.

“Ssstay out of thisss!” His sharpened teeth hissed the words.

Mammon transformed before Eddie's eyes, and drew back towards the door. Eddie was about to protest the abrupt retreat of his boyfriend when he realised Mammon wasn't running away... He was making space for a run _up_.

Satan saw it too, a second too late as Mammon sprinted and launched himself at his brother. There was a clashing of terrible teeth and claws and Eddie took the opportunity to use his cane to get himself upright again, and then finally had sense to call upon the brothers for peace through his pact bonds.

“ **Stop!!** ”

Satan, spitting and furious but stalled, figured out fast that he had only been stopped from his previous aim which was to fight Mammon, and turned towards Eddie. Mammon, chest heaving, lip bloodied, pulled back to put himself between Eddie and Satan. His wings spread wide, and vibrated in warning.

Mammon could have fought back, but did not... He did not want to raise hand against his brother. Except to save _him._

Eddie cursed himself for being so slow to utilise his bonds with the demons to help with the situation.

“ **No more fighting.** Calm down... please?”

He could see Satan fight against the command, but Mammon curled his claws, no longer needing to have them flexed out and ready. 

Satan seemed to eventually appreciated that he was not ordered to 'calm' (which would have grated against his Avatar function) but allowed space to do so in his own time.

Eddie swallowed, and tried to catch Satan's eye.

“I did not want to have to use the power of the pact...” he splayed his hands in a placating gesture, “I know you hate it but I'll be honest, I was scared. Really scared. For myself, but also, for you and Mammon. I don't want you getting hurt, either of you.”

Satan breathed a little deeper, steadier. 

Eddie continued, “You have every right to be angry with me, Satan. I did not treat your book well and I am sorry...”

“It was a sssecond edition!” Satan said slowly, attempting to be civil. 

Mammon stepped forwards, sudden enough that both Eddie and Satan tensed for further conflict. “I'll buy ya a first edition then!”

Whether it was the offer, or the fact that _Mammon_ was offering, that was enough to pull Satan from his rage. He looked Mammon up and down, and then deemed the deal genuine.  
He shook, shuddered, and his feathered boa fluttered out of view and horns dissipated. 

“That would be ss-” he caught himself, and straightened, “satifactory...”

Eddie peered over Mammon's wings, still out between them.

“...Are we good then?”

“We are.” Satan flicked his eyes to Mammon, still defensive in demon form, “I... I would not have hurt you. I merely wanted to convey my displeasure.... and provide discouragement from mistreating my books in future...”

Eddie tactfully did not say how much Satan sounded like Lucifer in that moment, but nodded quickly in agreement that yes, the message of discouragement was very much received.

The tension in the room ebbed, and Eddie stood a little less shaken. Mammon shed his demon form, but hovered between his brother and the human.

“Tea?” Eddie offered, voice still a little more tight than he would have liked. 

Satan looked to the teapot that was gestured at, and sniffed. Without a word, he fetched two cups, one for himself, and one for Mammon.

He poured for both, took up his cup and sipped, and smiled.

“This is pleasant.”

“It is one of Mammon's blends.”

Satan paused, and raised a brow at Mammon. 

“Really? Hm.”

There was a strange quiet in the kitchen, as everyone drank their tea very much aware of the events that had preceded the beverage. 

Satan finished his cup first. He rinsed and washed it, and set it to dry, before nodding a farewell to Eddie. There was a brief moment where Eddie thought he might leave without paying notice to his brother but then at the doorway Satan gave mammon a nod and a smile, before taking his leave.

Eddie did not wait for the footsteps to fade from his hearing; the second Satan left, he slumped on the table, exhausted and adrenaline drained. 

“Mammon. You have no idea how grateful I am that you showed up when you did... That could have been.... bad....”

He brought his head up, “And you pledged to buy him a first edition book! That was too generous! You didn't need to do that!” 

Mammon held up a hand. “I know.. I know.. Ya could've probably blasted him across the galaxy if he tried somethin', but Beel let me know Satan was right mad at ya, and I just wanted ta help! Plus, I kindda owe Satan a bit. He helped me learn the deep demonology stuff when you were askin' questions I didn't know the answer to....”

Eddie was both honoured and guilty that Mammon assumed his 'magic powers' were so grand that his monetary sacrifice was needed to protect Satan from mishap. 

“But...” Eddie said, “I don't want to make things difficult between you and your siblings...”

“We bicker plenty anyways. And besides, Satan can string me up all he wants when he reaches his limits. That's nothin' new.”

Eddie slumped his shoulders, and admitted his part in Satan's anger. 

“... He was right to be cross at me... I did not treat his book well.”

Mammon shrugged, as if unsurprised.

“Ah, he's been pissed since this mornin', when Lucifer didn't pick up the cursed apple tart he'd made and laid out in the fridge for him. And then at lunch they were out of his favourite iced tea flavour. Then, there was a book he'd been waitin' for, but the RAD library mucked up his reservation an' he'll have to wait another couple days. Satan's been brewin' a tantrum for hours, ya were just unlucky enough to be the straw that snapped the camel's spine!”

“Broke the camel's back?”

“Same difference; crippled critter.” Mammon then chugged down the remainder of his tea, before taking his and Eddie's empty cup to the sink to wash.

He then looked back to see Eddie with his arms crossed, and immediately panicked that he had caused offence.

“I did not mean crippled! I meant dead! It was a dead camel, yeah?”

Eddie could not help it, he laughed. He gave Mammon a good natured shove, and with that all misspoke words were forgiven.

“So... you mentioned spending some time in your room....?”

Mammon happily lead the way.

Once in, and sat down on a plush couch that was frankly too low, Eddie smiled and turned to Mammon, curious again.

“Does it hurt, when you change into your demon forms?”

Mammon flopped down beside him, and reached an arm over Eddie's shoulder. Eddie curled in, happy for the neck support.

“Nah. It's more like... Ya know when your at RAD, and ya gotta be all professional and proper? But then ya get home and getta kick back and relax a bit?”

“So... you perfer being in your demon form?”

“Yeah, but Lucifer doesn't like it when we hang around in half forms. Says its 'unprofessional'.”

Eddie held up a hand in confusion. “Half form?”

Mammon laughed, “Yeah, all ya have seen is half forms. I don't think ya'd like to see anyone's _real_ forms... They tenda drive humans kinda bonkers.”

Eddie frowned, suddenly aware that maybe ever demon and shade and darkling might have reason to resent his presence at RAD.

“.... Does everyone keep their human forms for my sake?”

Mammon shook his head, pale hair drifting over his eyes like a snowstorm, “Not at all. We've done it this way for aeons. The human sized forms are more convenient. If everyone was true, RAD would be like a circus, with too many animals cluttered together. Demons comes in every shape and size, and some would hardly fit through the doors! Leviathan, for example, is massive! And wet. An actual sea serpent.”

Eddie contemplated that, and nodded to himself. It made sense that the word leviathan might match up to what Levi's true appearance. He wondered quietly if Levi had ever visited Loch Ness....

He turned to mammon, and steepled his fingers, “What about you? What do you look like?”

Mammon pursed his lips. Then, seeming to decide that nothing he had said or done seemed to have put Eddie off so far, launched into vivid description, “I got more arms, and longer fingers with an extra joints.... I walk on my hands; faster that way. I spread shadows where I stand, like ink running off wet paper. Casts for miles if I let it. Extra hands on my wings, and tail... I can dig claws into walls and climb them, straight up, like a spider. More eyes too, all down my tail and....”

“...I... I cannot imagine you like that!” Eddie interrupted, already trying to piece together all that Mammon had told him.

Mammon grinned. “Like I said, humans ain't supposed to be able to. Your heads ain't designed to be to withstand full form demons.” He grinned showing teeth that were sharper than usual. “I'll stop now, before your head goes 'pop'!”

Eddie nodded, grateful.

“So how does the magic work then when you transform, does it just... happen? Where does the energy come from?”

Eddie had managed to pick up enough about magic and the way it worked to understand that there was the mystical equivalent of energy exchange. It was why his magic tricks seemed so baffling, because there was no power transfer, but for a demon to cast something, there had to be a harnessing and conversation of raw magical energy. 

“Nah nah, There's like, ambient energy all around, and when we shift, we kinda... suck it all up.”

Eddie snorted in amusement, then tried to remind himself that he was not twelve years old. Mammon flushed scarlet, and Eddie nudged him to continue.

“The demon forms are inherently magical, so suc--- _draw_ in naturally. Like to like.”

Mammon looked at Eddie's blank face, and then started to flex out a hand, waving it in front of him. He seemed to find a point, and gestured Eddie stick out a hand similarly.

“Here. Feel just here.”

Eddie felt nothing.

“What... am I supposed to be feeling?”

“Ya oughtta tell me.”

“Confused?”

Mammon looked honestly affronted.   
“Ya don't sense it?”

Eddie shook his head. 

“There's a leyline here.”

Eddie scanned with his hand, and continued to feel no difference at all. He turned to look at Mammon. 

“I've read the books. So many books. They all dictate the power of leylines and the lunar drifts of power, and residual ambient energy... Can you feel all that?”

Eddie wondered if that was why Solomon liked to hang about the Devildom, that it offered opportunity to harness all that offset energy....

Moreover, Eddie tried to imagine what it might be like, to have an extra sense constantly offering input. He winced at the thought of it. Another thing normal humans were not supposed to be able to comprehend.

Mammon shrugged, “I guess. Its more like gravity, its just there. But you can tell the areas where it gets stronger or weaker.” he moved a hand, seeming to trace a wave of magic through the air in front of him. 

Eddie tipped his head to the side, “So, you just feel magic, all about you all the time?”

“Not magic, the potential for magic. Like... a fire ready for a spark, or grimm waiting to be spent!”

Mammon moved to his feet, pulling Eddie with him. 

Mammon guided Eddie's hand to another patch of air, “Over here, there is some traces of power that got discharged when Levi was mad I had not paid him back, which-i-totally-did, and launched a blast at me. I dodged, but the magic leftover is there still... like... like a water balloon burstin'. Everything nearby gets wet, with the leftover magics. Splash zone.” Mammon reflected for a moment, then confided, “That's why territories are such a big deal. The more ya defend, the more magic is in the air, the more ya can fight for what is a prime location... but... ya don't _feel_ it.... any of it....”

“I am sorry, no.” Eddie shook his head. 

He looked at Mammon, who seemed baffled again that his seemingly Uber-warlock-extraordinaire could not sense simple magic....

Eddie was just about to come clean to Mammon, and admit the truth about his magic tricks when Mammon swept him up into a embrace.

“Ya don't feel power! Not even a bit!” he exclaimed happily.

“Uh... yeah?”

The demon beamed, “Ya don't feel a draw to demons, and our powers... and yet ya chose me to make a pact with? Ya can't have done it for the power then!”

Mammon spun Eddie round, delighted.

“Ya are the bestest human!”

When set back down it took Eddie a step or two to find his balance. 

He wondered how badly Mammon's other pacts must have gone, for him to be so gleeful at not being used for his power. It was sweet, to see him so delighted that Eddie had chosen him for himself, and not what he could be commanded to do. 

Eddie smiled, but inside, he wondered at how much it would hurt Mammon to learn that he had been lying about his own magical talents. 

Selfishly, he wondered how long he could keep up the deception.

**Author's Note:**

> Note. The next chapter will skip ahead in time and leave the rest of the scene to the imagination, just so that there is no expectations. I would hate to disappoint. Rest assured, there will be intimacy in this 3 part story arc, but also that the actual detailed sexy sex times will be in a chapter their own – so that people not keen on sex can skip if they so wish.


End file.
